Private Central Highlands Driving Tour
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September 2026
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Who is going?
Adults
Age 13 and over
Children
Age 12 and under
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Free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Same price on Viator, Outty earns a commission.
Traveler rating
5.0/5
Based on 108 traveler reviews. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Quick answer
Is Private Central Highlands Driving Tour worth booking?
Private Central Highlands Driving Tour is a 7-hour experience in Edinburgh, United Kingdom, from $780 per person. It scores 69 out of 100 on the Outty Ranking, which we label “Solid Choice”, based on a 5/5 rating across 108 reviews. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time. Same-day spots are currently showing.
- Outty Ranking
- 69 / 100
- Rating
- 5/5 (108)
- Duration
- 7 hours
- From
- $780 per person
This private tour that allows you to diverge from the suggestions based on what you want to get from the day. Spend the day with a local guide allows you to see the Highlands in style at a slow pace that allows you to vi
What you get
- Local guide
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Booster seats for up to 2 children.
- Transport by air-conditioned minivan
- All guiding fees and vehicle costs.
- Transport by private vehicle
About this experience
This private tour that allows you to diverge from the suggestions based on what you want to get from the day. Spend the day with a local guide allows you to see the Highlands in style at a slow pace that allows you to visit castles, take walks in the fresh to get stunning views, follow in the footsteps of Rob Roy, eat in great local places, or even visit a whisky distillery if you like. As this is a private tour we can tweak it to suit your needs no problem. Please note that when you ask to customise, we can do it in the area this tour takes place in. Asking to go to places hundreds of miles from these locations is not possible and will require you booking a tour to suit that. You will be picked up/dropped off at your hotel/BNB and you will tour in an air conditioned Mercedes van or possibly a Landrover for couples.
What's included
Included
- Local guide
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Booster seats for up to 2 children.
- Transport by air-conditioned minivan
- All guiding fees and vehicle costs.
- Transport by private vehicle
Not included
- Entrance fees for castles/distillery
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
What you'll see and do
Stirling Castle
We will stop for the best view of the castle where you can learn all about it's more interesting history. If you like, we can arrange for you to go inside and you can skip something else.
30 minutes here
Callander Visitor Information Cantre
Stop to wander through the streets of quaint town on the the "entrance to the Highlands."
45 minutes here
Meet some Highland Cows if they are out and about. Usually we can do this from April-October, outwith these months they are inside for the winter.
10 minutes here
Loch Lubnaig
Take a stroll by an extremely pretty loch with the Highland hills rising by it's sides.
30 minutes here
Falls of Dochart
Time permitting we can visit the picturesque Falls of Dochart in Killin. The falls are wide rather than high, but set around gorgeous rock formations and an ancient bridge worh views over to Ben Lawers, the 10th highest mountain in the UK. Nearby there is an excellent smokehouse if anyone wants to try some very local smoked salmon.
30 minutes here
Deanston Distillery & Visitor Centre
If you like the idea of a distillery tour or whisky tasting, let us know and we can suggest times and experiences to book. Please note this is not included in the tour cost as not everyone wants to do this.
60 minutes here · Admission not included
Rob Roy's Grave
Visit the grave of one of Scotland's most infamous heroes...or was he a villain?
30 minutes here
The Kelpies & The Helix
Although the rest of the tour is about ancient Scotland, if you wish we can stop to see the amazing Kelpies sculptures in Falkirk on the way to, or from, the Highlands. These modern sculptures are huge and everyone who seems them are in awe. You will also find out about the mythology behind their name.
20 minutes here
Where it starts and ends
Hotel pickup
Pickup is included for all travelers. Pickup begins about 10 minutes before departure.
Before you book
- Cancellation
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
- Languages
- en
- Ticket
- Mobile Only
- Runs on
- Every day
- Group size
- Up to 15 travelers per booking
- Operated by
- Iconic Tours
Know before you go
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Photos
What travelers are saying
Outty’s summary of the themes that recur across 108 traveler reviews. Written by us, not quoted from reviewers.
Knowledge and storytelling
9 mentionsReviewers describe the commentary as informative rather than scripted.
The guide
7 mentionsTravelers single out the guide as the reason the experience works.
Food and drink
5 mentionsThe tastings and food stops are a highlight for most reviewers.
Small groups
4 mentionsThe group size is repeatedly described as intimate rather than packed.
Photo opportunities
3 mentionsThe views and photo stops come up again and again.
Good for families
2 mentionsReviewers traveling with kids report it landed well with their group.
Traveler reviews
108 verified traveler reviews for Private Central Highlands Driving Tour. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Exceptional Highland Experience.
Will is an exceptional tour guide. Very knowledgeable and engaging. The tour was perfect and he was able to gauge our interest and modify the plans as the day progressed to make sure we have the optimal experience. Highly recommend!!!
Response from the operator: Dear John, Many thanks for the kind review. I am always happy to change up tours to suit everyone's interests and I am glad I could include things to keep everyone happy. I hope to tour with you all again one day. Will
via Viator
Don’t hesitate – you will want to book this tour!
We were very fortunate to have Will be our guide for our day trip to the Highlands and he went above and beyond to make it an absolutely special day for us. Will was very communicative well before the trip and, although I’m sure he has a standard tour itinerary, he planned ahead and tailored our trip to what we were interested in seeing and doing to make it a truly bespoke experience. For example, we really had a keen interest in seeing working sheepdogs and Will went out of his way to research this and was able to book us a tour at Lurgan Farms which ended up being the highlight of our two-week trip to England, Scotland, and Ireland (and we did a lot!). Will has such a deep history of Scotland and was able to share so much of his knowledge throughout the day so we knew the significance of what we were seeing. He also gave us some excellent recommendations for local eateries, coffee shops, pubs, etc. beforehand so we had time to check them out online and see what we could work into our schedule. This is not a tour bus type of thing with 50 of your closest friends you don’t know but a private tour in a nice unmarked Mercedes van with pick up and drop off at your hotel. Will was an excellent driver and a pro at navigating the small winding roads of Scotland. My only disappointment was that I didn’t book a second day with him to see other sites as Scotland is absolutely beautiful. Without a doubt, 5 stars and more!
Response from the operator: Dear Diane, Thank you very much for your kind and thoughtful review, it really is appreciated. When people book a tour with me I want them to have the best possible experience, so I am always happy to recommend local places to eat and drink in Edinburgh and I am glad you found places you like before we met for the tour. I always pick up directly from hotels for tours and when you said you wanted to see working sheepdogs I was delighted to be able to take you to Lurgen Farm and I am so happy it was the highlight of your whole UK trip. I do have "regular tours" where we will visit the best areas away from the tourists as well as some must see spots with tourists that helps people get a true understanding of Scottish history and culture, but I do love tours like yours the most where I get a request I can fulfill to make some wishes come true. I hope we get to meet again some day. Will
via Tripadvisor
Best tour guide!!
I wish I could give 10 stars!! Top notch - the BEST tour guide EVER! Scott was the most incredible tour guide we have ever had. He truly loves his country and loves to share it with his clients. We were absolutely captivated by his stories and knowledge (and jokes or course) - we learned so much about Scotland. We will be back! And we will contact Scott!
Response from the operator: Dear Melissa B, Many thanks for taking the time to write a review for your private tour to the Scottish Highlands with Scott. Scott is a brilliant person to spend the day with, he is an expert in Scottish history and culture as well as having a great sense of humour. All of our team want to make your private tours of Scotland, so we are always happy to adjust the tours to suit your needs when we can and we always like a good mix of history, fun facts, stories and laughs. We are not a "read from a script" type of company, we love what we do and that's why we get so many great reviews 😀
via Viator
Must do tour! Highly recommend!
Perfect way to see The Highlands without the worry of driving. Our driver, Scott was the perfect guide. He was incredibly knowledgeable and a great story teller of Scottish history. We made lots of stops along the route and saw some amazing things that I’m not sure you would see if you were driving on your own. We stopped for a great lunch at such a quaint restaurant with delicious food. The stop at an award winning chocolate factory was a lot of fun. It rained midway through our tour but Scott made sure that did not hinder our trip. We would highly recommend this tour if you’re in Edinburgh!
via Tripadvisor
Must do tour! Highly recommend!
Perfect way to see The Highlands without the worry of driving. Our driver, Scott was the perfect guide. He was incredibly knowledgeable and a great story teller of Scottish history. We made lots of stops along the route and saw some amazing things that I’m not sure you would see if you were driving on your own. We stopped for a great lunch at such a quaint restaurant with delicious food. The stop at an award winning chocolate factory was a lot of fun. It rained midway through our tour but Scott made sure that did not hinder our trip. We would highly recommend this tour if you’re in Edinburgh!
Response from the operator: Dear RandyKeeling, Thank you so muchbfor taking the time to write a review of your tour with Scott. Scott is an amazing guide, historian, story teller and all round great guy to spend time with. Here at Iconic Tours we always want to get people away from the crowds, show them local spots they wouldn't find on their own and introduce some great local places to eat and drink. We always make sure everyone experiences Scotland like a local. We hope you can come tour with us again one day. Kind regards Will
via Viator
Good to know
- Duration
- 7 hours
- Free cancellation
- Up to 24h before
- Minimum age to book
- All ages
- Availability
- Bookable today
- Runs on
- Every day
- Hotel pickup
- Included for all travelers
- Booked in 30 days
- 38
- Verdict
- Solid Choice
Why this scores 69
The Outty Ranking is a weighted composite. Here is how this experience performed on each component.
Private Central Highlands Driving Tour: questions travelers ask
Practical detail on this experience, plus the wider planning questions for Edinburgh.
How much does Private Central Highlands Driving Tour cost?
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Prices start at $780 per person. The final price depends on the date, the time slot and the number of travelers, and peak weekends in Edinburgh usually price higher than midweek mornings. Live pricing and remaining availability are confirmed on the booking screen before you pay.
How long does Private Central Highlands Driving Tour take?
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Plan for about 7 hours from start to finish, not counting travel to the meeting point. Most travelers leave another 30 minutes on either side so the rest of the day in Edinburgh is not rushed.
Is Private Central Highlands Driving Tour worth it?
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It holds an Outty Ranking of 69 out of 100, which we label "Solid Choice". That score blends traveler sentiment (5/5 across 108 reviews), the depth of that review evidence, recent booking momentum, value for money against comparable last minute in Edinburgh, and how flexible the cancellation terms are.
Can I cancel or reschedule Private Central Highlands Driving Tour?
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Yes. Cancel free up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Inside that window the booking is non-refundable, and no-shows are not refunded.
Is Private Central Highlands Driving Tour suitable for kids and families?
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Yes, all ages are welcome. Families should still weigh the 7-hour running time, and strollers are easier on the earlier, quieter departures.
How far in advance should I book Private Central Highlands Driving Tour?
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Around 38 people booked this in the last 30 days, so popular slots go early. Two to three weeks ahead is comfortable in shoulder season, while summer weekends and holidays in Edinburgh can sell out a month out. Same-day spots do open up when other travelers cancel, so it is worth checking if you are already in town.
What should I bring or wear?
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Bring photo ID, your booking confirmation on your phone, a refillable water bottle and comfortable shoes. Dress for the weather in Edinburgh and add a light layer if any part of the 7-hour experience runs outdoors or after sunset.
Where does Private Central Highlands Driving Tour start and how do I get there?
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The exact meeting point and directions are on your voucher once you book, and they sit in central Edinburgh within reach of public transport. Arrive 15 minutes early: late arrivals are treated as no-shows by most operators.
What are the best things to do in Edinburgh?
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On Outty we rank every Edinburgh experience on the same 0 to 100 scale, and alongside this one the highest scorers right now include Edinburgh: Loch Ness, Glencoe and The Highlands, Edinburgh: Glenfinnan Viaduct, Glencoe & Fort William, Edinburgh Ghost Tour: Mysteries, Legends and Murders. The city page groups everything into most popular, highest reviewed, last minute and family-friendly so you can build a day around what actually delivers.
When is the best time to visit Edinburgh?
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Booking patterns follow the same curve: prices and queues climb in peak weeks, while shoulder season gives you better availability on the top-ranked experiences and more room to change plans.
How many days do you need in Edinburgh?
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Three full days covers the headline sights without sprinting. A workable rhythm is one anchor experience each morning, such as this one, an unhurried afternoon in a single neighborhood, then a food or nightlife booking in the evening. Five days lets you add a day trip outside the city.
Do I book through Outty or through the operator?
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Outty ranks and explains the experiences, then hands you to Viator to complete the booking with the operator directly. The price is the same as booking on Viator yourself, and Outty earns an affiliate commission on the referral, which is how the rankings stay free to read.
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